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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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“Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)

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The Splendor of Knowledge, according to the wise.

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By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.

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May Allah preserve him.

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Being deprived of the blessing of knowledge.

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Imam Al-Awza'i, the Imam of the Levant, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

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He who passed away in the year 157 AH.

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"When Allah intends to deprive His servant of the blessing of knowledge,

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He casts 'al-maghalit' (erroneous, contentious speech) upon his tongue;

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for I have seen them to be the least knowledgeable of people."

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The blessing of knowledge is recognized by correcting one's path and maintaining sincerity within it,

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by selecting its finest aspects,

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and by proceeding therein upon guidance from Allah.

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It also requires distancing oneself from impurities, contentious speech, and obscure branches of knowledge.

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Therefore, excessive preoccupation with minute details, anomalous issues, or engaging in argumentation,

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all of these are things that strip away the blessing of knowledge.

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For this reason, 'al-maghalit' has been interpreted as that which is unnecessary, such as asking "how" and "why" excessively,

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meaning those deep, far-fetched details

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that are inconsistent with the essence, core, and reality of knowledge.

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Others have interpreted it as difficult and convoluted issues,

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or questions posed for the sake of obstinacy and to incapacitate scholars and authorities.

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This is why the eminent scholar Al-Khattabi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said,

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in his commentary on the hadith that prohibits such behavior—though the hadith itself is weak:

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"The meaning is that he forbade challenging scholars with difficult questions

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in which errors are frequent, in order to cause them to slip or to undermine their opinions."

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It also implies the dislike of over-complication and affectation regarding matters for which a person has no need,

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and the obligation to refrain from speaking on what one does not know.

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It has been narrated from Ubayy Ibn Ka'b that a man asked him about an obscure issue,

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so he asked, "Has this happened yet?"

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The man replied, "No."

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He said, "Wait for me until it happens."

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Apply this same principle to anomalous issues and trivialities of knowledge,

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to raising the banner of argumentation without right,

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to the contentions of the foolish,

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and to showing off with knowledge and understanding,

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while one possesses little substance,

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or is still at the beginning of one's studies,

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and at the start of one's academic journey.

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And Allah is the Grantor of success.